


Artistry

by pansystan



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Coffee Shops, College AU, Dorcissa, F/F, Modern AU, Non-magical AU, language warning for 1 (one) swear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 04:23:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12951207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pansystan/pseuds/pansystan
Summary: Narcissa was certain she’d never seen this girl before, and yet she strolled into the small, on-campus Starbucks and made easy conversation with the rumpled looking barista as though she’d done it a thousand times before. She couldn’t help but notice that this girl was both very pretty andveryout of her league.





	Artistry

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dorcas_meadowes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dorcas_meadowes/gifts).



> I started this in like April and _finally_ finished it. I've proofread this but it hasn't been betad. Comments  & kudos always appreciated.

Narcissa was certain she’d never seen this girl before, and yet she strolled into the small, on-campus Starbucks and made easy conversation with the rumpled looking barista as though she’d done it a thousand times before. The girl had pin straight black hair, cut sharply at her shoulders, and clear blue eyes. She wore frayed blue denim cut off jeans and platform sandals, yet somehow still managed to look effortlessly elegant. A large brown leather bag was slung over her right shoulder, and, judging from the edge of the plain black sketchbook visible to Narcissa, the girl was an art student.

Narcissa couldn’t help but notice that this girl was both very pretty and _very_ out of her league. Narcissa herself studied Pre Med, and would _never_ wear jeans; her mother had told her many times that denim was unbecoming for a young lady. Today Narcissa was dressed casually in a pair of skinny black cigarette pants, ankle boots and a Burberry trench coat. Whereas this girl was embracing the last dregs of summer as though she were savouring an iced coffee, Narcissa leaned into the oncoming cold weather with open arms.

Trying not to dwell any more on the mystery girl, Narcissa turned back to her textbook and illicit text conversation with her estranged sister, which she would have to remember erase from her phone before she met her eldest sister, Bellatrix, for dinner later that day.

 

Dorcas ordered a caramel frappuccino, finishing her conversation with Remus and assuring him that she and Lily would be making an appearance at his friends’ party later that week, before moving past the counter to wait for her drink. Absently, she pulled her phone from the back pocket of her jeans, more for something to do whilst she waited than any actual curiosity towards any messages she may have. Mid reply to Lily’s question that may have been about an essay deadline, but also may have been about whether Remus had said anything about James saying anything to him about her, Dorcas glanced absently at a table, and paused.

Sitting alone, gorgeous designer leather handbag in the chair beside her, more textbooks than could possibly fit in it piled onto the small table in front of her, was a girl. From where she stood, almost directly behind her, Dorcas could only see the sweet, sharp edge of a jawline, the tip of a ski slope nose and the curve of a pair of soft lips emerging from the silky finger curls of white-blonde hair. She was far too beautiful to be sat in a badly lit, overpriced on-campus Starbucks _and yet_ , Dorcas thought, she would look effortless wherever she was.

Checking the time Dorcas cursed softly, she was meant to be meeting Marlene for their fine arts class, and Marlene hadn't yet texted her to cancel, so Dorcas assumed she was planning on showing up today. Giving the beautiful blonde girl another subtle appraisal as she passed her, Dorcas grabbed her drink and hurried out of the Starbucks towards her lecture.

Marlene was only three minutes late to meet Dorcas and the two girls managed to seat themselves only a few rows from the back of the lecture theatre. Marlene never liked to sit near the front, claiming she was far sighted, but Dorcas suspected this had more to do with the fact that the time not spent playing on her phone in classes Marlene spent carving inappropriate drawings into the desks, than any eyesight problems she may or may not have.

This fine arts class was one of the few Marlene and Dorcas shared; Marlene was studying Fine Art and Dorcas was studying Fashion Design, so only a couple of their classes overlapped. Flipping open her sketchbook Dorcas glanced at Marlene, who was already immersed in her phone, before putting pen to paper. Although she was a talented artist, outside of school assignments Dorcas usually stuck to drawing clothes, but today she was feeling inspired. She hardly realised as her pen moved across the sheet of paper, it was a rough sketch but the girl in it was obviously very beautiful. She was in profile, with long hair covering most of her face, her ears were pointed and she sat in a floating dress surrounded by a bed of vines and roses.

The rest of class passed painstakingly slowly, Dorcas tried to take notes but found herself fixated on the girl from Starbucks. Marlene paid about as much attention as she normally did; that is to say, absolutely none, and the pair left the lecture theatre at the end of the hour having retained nothing more than the topic of the lecture, and an interesting fact about penguins that their lecturer had thrown in in a desperate attempt to seem more relatable to his students; it hadn’t worked.

Dorcas didn’t usually go to Starbucks unless to see Remus whilst he was at work, the coffee was in equal parts disgusting and overpriced, but she found herself there several more times in the upcoming weeks, searching for a glimpse of the blonde girl again. When she finally did run into her in mid-October, it was entirely by accident.

 

Narcissa wearily pushed open the door to the on-campus Starbucks, she’d had a long week, coupled with the stress of Bellatrix and Andromeda finally ending their two year long silent stalemate in favour of an all out war, with both using Narcissa as a weapon.

The weather had turned entirely now that it was well into October, and Narcissa pulled off her gloves to reply to Andromeda’s text. She was so engrossed in her sisters’ feud that she didn’t notice the pretty dark haired girl sitting sketching at a table by the window, a takeaway cup of coffee with the lid popped off sitting slightly too close to the edge of the table for comfort. As she passed Narcissa absently hoisted her handbag higher onto her shoulder, it knocked the coffee, which tipped over instantly spilling all over the girl’s sketchbook, which was overflowing with spare sheets of paper.

“Shit!” Narcissa cursed, fumbling to help the girl pick up her things before realising who it was. When she looked up and met the girl's blue eyes she turned bright red. “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying attention, I mean I was, but not to you, to my phone, I mean, not that I don’t pay attention to you, it’s just that…” she trailed off, if possible more embarrassed than she had been before, and glanced down at the drawings she had rescued from the coffee.

The same disheveled boy who’d been working the first time she’d seen the girl had hurried over with a cloth and was mopping up the spilt coffee. “I’ll get you another one.” He told the girl, “Do you want anything?” he asked, turning to Narcissa.

She looked up, still flushed and avoiding the girl’s eyes. “What? Oh, right, coffee. Yes please. Can I get a double espresso please?”

“Of course, I’ll bring them over.”

The dark haired girl thanked him and sat back down, motioning Narcissa to the seat opposite, which she took, still trying to look anywhere but the other girl.

Settling the offending handbag on the floor beside the chair, Narcissa held the sheath of papers she was still clutching out to the girl. She wanted to look through them, but knew it would be rude to look without permission.

“Thanks.” The girl smiled, flipping through them for damage. A couple of them had small splatters of coffee at the edges and Narcissa cringed as the girl laid them out on the table to dry.

Then she froze as the girl put down a drawing of an elfin woman sitting amongst a grove of flowers and crawling vines.

“Is that –” She started before snapping her mouth shut before she could embarrass herself further.

To her surprise, the dark haired girl went bright red and snatched up the picture before Narcissa even had a chance to get a proper look.

Now it was her turn to gabble, “I… you’re very pretty. I saw you in here a few weeks ago, back in September and drew you. It’s not creepy I promise, just… you’re very pretty.” she finished lamely.

“You said that already.” Narcissa replied with a small smile, “May I see it?”

The girl’s eyes widened, but she handed Narcissa the drawing. It was very good, just a sketch, but the girl looked startlingly like Narcissa. Narcissa smiled.

The rumpled boy returned with their drinks, his nametag read ‘Remus’.

“It’s good.” Narcissa said, turning the drawing over in her hands, “But it’s missing something.”

“It is?” The dark haired girl asked, an anxious look crossing her face.

Narcissa fished a pen out of her bag and glanced at the girl for permission. “May I?” she asked, motioning the drawing.

“Of course.” The girl smiled, but she worried her bottom lip between her teeth.

Flipping the page over to the blank side, Narcissa penned her phone number across the back of the drawing in her loopy handwriting. She handed the drawing back to the girl, who blushed when she realised what Narcissa had done.

Standing up, Narcissa picked up her handbag and coffee from the table, “I’m Narcissa, by the way.” she said.

The girl glanced up from the phone number, still blushing, to reply, “Dorcas.” she said.

“See you around, Dorcas.” Narcissa replied with a smile, before leaving.

She’d only made it a few metres from the Starbucks when her phone vibrated in her bag. She stopped, groaning, wondering what argument her sisters could be pulling her into now. When she found the phone, however, there was only one text from an unknown number.

‘Don’t think I’ve forgotten you admitted to stalking me.”

Narcissa laughed.


End file.
